Modern vehicles such as pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles (SUVs) provide greater utility for some purposes in relation to smaller passenger cars, due in part to their substantially greater size and weight. This increases the amount, size, and weight of the various types of cargo that may be transported or towed by the vehicle. In particular, pickup trucks and SUVs may be better equipped to carry substantially larger and heavier loads such as machinery, equipment, construction materials, and recreational vehicles within a rear cargo area, or to transport groceries, occupants, and various personal effects within a separate passenger cabin, for example during family trips. Therefore, to accommodate the loading and unloading of such a variety of cargo, as well as to assist vehicle occupants in entering and exiting the elevated rear cargo area or truck bed, such vehicles often utilize one or more entry-assist mechanisms.
To facilitate access to the rear cargo area or bed, pickup trucks and SUVs may be equipped with drop-style tailgates that may be deployed as a platform, or with removable access ramps that connect to the bed to enable cargo and/or a recreational vehicle to roll up the ramp and into the rear cargo area. Alternately, and particularly for personal access to the rear cargo area, steps, door handles, and/or hand holds may be rigidly attached to the vehicle frame and/or molded into the vehicle body, and are usually trimmed or finished to add a desired look and aesthetic appeal. However, such exposed access devices may be less than optimal due to their relative weight and/or aerodynamic impact, or in the case of permanently mounted platforms, steps, or handles, their impact on the overall styling and aesthetic appeal of the vehicle. Therefore, certain hinged platforms are used to provide a convenient step for accessing a rear cargo area. However, such devices may be less than optimal for facilitating access to the rear cargo area from a variety of positions.